- Rivera has been a staunch supporter of Trump since the reality TV star ran in 2016.
- The two were friends previously and Trump named him co-chairman of a council.
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news.
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has the endorsement of retired New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, a friend of the 77-year-old and former co-chairman of the White House Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.
Rivera, 54, has been a staunch supporter of Trump since the reality TV star first ran as the Republican candidate in 2016. In fact, the two have been friends since the days when the Hall of Famer Fame played.
“President Trump is my friend,” Rivera told host Sid Rosenberg. ‘I can’t deny that. I’ll tell anyone. Before he was president, he was my friend. That’s why I’m going to vote for him.”
Trump’s social media team quickly shared footage of the interview on Truth Social.
In addition to serving on Trump’s Sports, Fitness and Nutrition board, Rivera also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in appreciation for his dominance on the mound and his inspiring journey from Panama to the Major Leagues.
Trump, left, presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Mariano Rivera in the East Room
Trump (right) and Rivera (left) watch young baseball players at the White House in 2020
“President Donald Trump presented me with the Medal of Freedom,” Rivera told Rosenberg. ‘It was an amazing moment. Receiving that metal was special.”
‘Mariano Rivera has made extraordinary contributions to American sports, culture and society,’ Trump said when presenting the award to Rivera in 2019. ‘He is the most dominant relief pitcher in the history of baseball.
“And more than that, he has lived the American dream and shines as an example of American greatness for all to see.”
Rosenberg, a controversial voice who has used homophobic slurs to describe tennis and soccer players, then asked Rivera if he thinks the country needs Trump to return to the White House in 2025.
‘I’m not a politician,’ Rivera responded, indicating that he still supports Trump. ‘I’ll tell you right now. I don’t go to the right or to the left. “I always go for whoever is doing the right thing for the country.”
Trump, a longtime Yankees fan, is seen watching a 2012 game in the Bronx with Bill O’Reilly.
Trump and Marla Maples attend Police Athletic League celebrity softball game in 1991
Mariano Rivera celebrates his first World Series title with the Yankees in October 1996.
Rivera ranks first in MLB history with 652 saves and remains the only player unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2015 and has since embraced Israel while offering vocal support for the Jewish state.
While Rivera has remained popular among baseball fans amid his support for Trump, retired pitcher Curt Schilling has blamed his Hall of Fame snub on writers’ “hatred” of the former president and conservatives.
Rivera, however, suffered no such backlash among BBWAA members, who unanimously voted him into the Hall of Fame in 2019.